Fiber composite plastics are used in many areas. In particular, carbon fiber-reinforced plastics are used, for example in industrial components, in aerospace technology and in sports equipment. The production of this type of fiber composite plastics can comprise in particular automatic layer depositing processes. Using a laying head, dry or pre-impregnated fibers (for example carbon fibers) are laid in narrow ribbons next to one another and also in a plurality of superimposed layers in a forming tool.
In this process, various defects can arise. For example, if a layer is deposited incorrectly, undesirable twists, overlaps, gaps or material folds can occur. In addition, foreign material can arrive in or on the layers; this type of undesirable material can originate from the installation itself (for example abraded material in the laying head) or, in the case of an open tool, can enter from the surroundings as dirt.
To avoid disadvantageous consequences, layers which are deposited according to the prior art are examined visually by staff for such defects after each completed layer. For this purpose, the relevant inspectors can walk on the forming tool, and sometimes there are also lifting systems by which the workers can be suspended above the mould to inspect the laid material.
When a defect has been established, in order to decide on the course of action to be taken, it is furthermore advantageous to type the defect whereby the nature of the defect is determined, i.e. for example it is established that a twist, a material gap or the like is present. According to the prior art, this typing is also effected by a visual check carried out by staff who carry out a corresponding assignment of a detected defect.
The mentioned checking and typing mechanisms are complex, demand a great amount of time and are often inaccurate. Furthermore, large control surfaces in particular often require a systematic guided observation which is often difficult to maintain, so that defects can easily be overlooked. Finally, the staff who are walking on the tool or are guided above the material, or also the corresponding lifting systems can themselves damage or soil the deposited layers.